Daddy's Day
by Glued To The Keyboard
Summary: For Betsey Parker, May thirteenth was a day that would always belong to her dad, no matter what. Spoilers for S3 finale, 'End Of A Beautiful Friendship.'


**Summary: **For Betsey Parker, May thirteenth was a day that would always belong to her dad, no matter what.

**Warnings/Spoilers: **Future fic, but contains spoilers for season three finale.

**Authors Note: **My first bash at a Private Practise fic, so all feedback is most very welcome! :] I'm still in total shock from 'The End Of A Beautiful Friendship' so all mistakes are my own, I'm afraid. I'mn not ashamed to admit I was crying my eyes out!

**Disclaimer: **Nope, Private Practise isn't mine. If it was, Dell would most certainly be alive..

**Daddy's Day.**

"Betsey! Everyone's going to get ice-cream! Come with us?"

Betsey Parker looked at her friend Samantha, and shook her head.

"Sorry Sam, I can't."

"Aw, c'mon Betsey! Its Friday, come have some fun." Sam begged her, holding onto her arm.

Betsey shook her head again. "I'm sorry, I can't go, not today."

"Why not?" Sam looked slightly offended.

"I.." Betsey began slowly. "It's my dad's anniversary today. I'm going t-to visit him."

Sam's face fell. "Oh, gosh, Bets, I'm sorry-"

"It's ok." Betsey shrugged it off, concealing the horrible sadness that was settled in her chest, making every breath harder. "You didn't know."

"I still fell bad." Sam gave her a quick hug. "Have-"

She bit her lip, and cut herself off. "I'll see you tomorrow, yeah?" She changed her sentence drastically.

Betsey nodded, smiling a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "Bye Sam."

With that, the blonde haired girl walked off in the opposite direction, to the rest of Betsey's friends, leaving Betsey standing alone, her thumbs tightly wedged in the straps of her backpack.

After a few seconds, Betsey shook herself out of her daze, and began to walk.

It was a beautiful sunny day, and rather than get the bus to the graveyard where her dad lay now, Betsey decided to walk the half hour in the early afternoon sun.

May thirteenth was the day she always, no matter what, went to see her dad.

Cooper knew, and he had packed her extra lunch today before she left. She lived with Cooper, and Charlotte now. The aunt from Portland never turned up, and Cooper had begun to foster her.

Maya, her daughter Delia and Naomi had visited the night before, and Maya had given Betsey a ten dollar bill and a hug, and a quick request to say hello to Del for her.

Her, 'family' all understood, and Cooper wouldn't turn up at the graveyard until at least six, maybe half past if she didn't leave earlier.

Betsey always missed her father, but on his anniversary, the pain got worse. It had never gone away, the girl had just learned to live with it.

The ache she felt for her father was so much bigger than the one she felt for her mom. Betsey loved her mom, she really did, but her dad was the one who had always been the stronger of the parents.

Aside from that, she really was a complete daddy's girl.

Betsey stopped outside the little flower shop that was at the halfway point of her walk from school, to the graveyard. She always bought a bunch of flowers, or something for her dad.

Not stupid girly flowers, flowers her dad would like. Flowers that brightened up the place Betsey thought of his house, just a little bit.

"Good afternoon Betsey!" The elderly shopkeeper, Mrs Harrison greeted, shuffling to and fro in the shop. It was a small space, and packed with every type of flower, in every colour imaginable.

"Hi Mrs Harrison. How are you?" Betsey returned the greeting. She liked Mrs Harrison. She was always nice, and she always helped her pick nice flowers.

"I'm good now Betsey dear. And how are you keeping yourself?" Mrs Harrison asked, her speech still holding the tiniest hint of an Irish accent, one that should have disappeared long ago.

"I'm okay." Betsey said, her eyes trailing over the blues, purples, reds and pinks of the flowers.

Mrs Harrison nodded, understanding. "Now, let's see what we can get you today, hmm?"

"I like those ones." Betsey pointed to an explosive bunch of red and orange flowers. They were bright, and happy, and she knew her dad would like them. He liked the colour orange.

Betsey could remember a bright orange duvet on her dad's bed, one she loved to snuggle up in, and make a tent out of.

"Yeah," She repeated. "I like those ones."

Mrs Harrison smiled at her gently. "That's a lovely bunch of flowers honey. I'll go ring those up for you now."

The woman shuffled to the till, weaving between the flower pots with a grace a woman of her age shouldn't really possess. The flowers were quite fancy, and cost near to fifty dollars, but Mrs Harrison had a soft spot for the thirteen year old girl who had been buying flowers from her shop since she was seven, so she entered them far less than they should have been.

"Ten dollars sweetheart."

Betsey handed the money offered, and took the flowers from Mrs Harrison carefully before waving goodbye, and leaving the shop, the bell tinkling gently behind her.

A few minutes after she left, the phone rang.

"Hello, Harrisons Flowers, how may I help you?"

"_Hi Mrs Harrison, it's Cooper Freedman."_

Ah, Cooper Freedman, Betsey's guardian. Every time the little girl was going to visit her dad on her own, Cooper would ring the shop just to make sure she had made it halfway there safe.

"Hello Cooper Betsey's just left actually, and she's just fine." Mrs Harrison spoke into the phone.

"_Thank you Mrs Harrison, really."_

"Not a problem Cooper. I'm glad to help." Mrs Harrison said. "I'll let you get back to work now, shall I?"

///\\\

Betsey arrived at the car park of the graveyard, a car park that was empty, save for the caretakers car, and another she didn't recognize.

Her pace quickened a little as she passed through the gates, and stepped into the silent grave yard.

It was a nice enough place, for a grave yard. When it was sunny, the sun would beat down on the wide open space, casting glittering shadows everywhere, making the dull place just a little bit brighter.

It didn't take long for Betsey to get to where her dad was buried. He hadn't been buried alongside her mother, he was buried on the opposite side of the graveyard. Like they'd always been really, on opposite sides.

"Hey beautiful."

"Hi dad." Betsey said, the ache in her chest lessening as her eyes fell on the plain grey stone that read 'William 'Dell' Parker.' Every time she came to visit him, she could almost see her dad leaning against the stone, wearing his trademark smile, and shirt.

"How've you been princess?"

Betsey set her bag down, and knelt by the grave, setting to fixing it up.

"I'm good daddy. How are you?"

"Better for seeing you." He said, a wide grin on his face.

"You say that every time dad." Betsey commented as she rested her flowers against the stone.

"Well, the answer's always going to be the same," He replied, sitting down next to Betsey. "I always fell better after seeing you. So, how's school going?"

"Why'd you always want to know that?"

"Because, Betsey Parker, education is very important." her dad replied, the smile never leaving his face.

"Its going good." Betsey replied. "There's a new boy in my class."

"A boy?" Betsey could imagine her fathers face darkening at this. "As in, a boy a boy?"

"Yes dad," Betsey laughed. "A boy. But, don't worry, he's not my type."

"So you have a type now? You're really growing up fast.."

Betsey couldn't help but smile. "Once again daddy, don't worry. I'll always be your little girl."

"Good! So you'll join a nunnery then? Never get married?"

"Not the boy's have cooties speech again dad," Betsey rolled her eyes. "I am thirteen now. I know that cooties don't exist."

"Really? I hope Cooper didn't tell you that. I might have to kick his ass if he did."

"Like you even could dad." Betsey laughed.

"You have a point princess. What's in the sandwiches?"

"Peanut butter and jelly." Betsey replied, popping a corner of the sandwich in her mouth. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, but then again, it was gone half three.

"Not very healthy."

"Dad, Coopers a doctor. Its okay to have peanut butter and jelly sandwiches if he says so." Betsey pointed out.

"I'm a doctor!"

"You're a nurse," Betsey corrected. "And a midwife. Babies don't eat PBJ sandwiches y'know."

"You never know. They could be screaming their heads off for a sandwich just after they're born."

"I think they're screaming because they have to look at you first thing after they're born." Betsey teased.

"Oh, I'm hurt!"

"I'm just being honest dad. Honest is the best policy, right?"

"I brought you up too well Bets."

"Yeah," Betsey nodded. "You did."

"Cooper did give a bit of a hand, I suppose.."

"Ah," Betsey interrupted. "But you taught me how to tie my shoes. That's a skill for life."

"You always know how to cheer me up princess."

"Back at you dad." Betsey smiled. She liked being here, spending time with her dad. Even if he wasn't exactly there, talking to her, Betsey knew he was watching over her.

Making sure she didn't go near boys and get cooties, of course.

"I miss you." Betsey said, after a silence. "I miss you a lot. I see all these other kids getting picked up by their dads, and moms, and Cooper and Charlotte and everyone are great, don't get me wrong, but you're my dad."

"I know sweetheart. I wish I could pick you up from school, and take you for ice-cream and everything, but there's no use in wishing for things you just can't have again."

"I just.. I wish someone had noticed you were hurt that day."

"What's done is done princess."

Her dad was just so positive, it annoyed her sometimes. Why couldn't he be like Betsey, and wish, and wish to be alive again?

"I just want a d-dad again!" Betsey choked out, tear's gushing down her face. "I want a d-dad again. I want to be able to c-come home, and tell my_ dad _about my dad. I want a h-hug f-rom my d-daddy!"

The tears she had been holding in all day gushed out, causing Betsey to rest her head on her knees, and in turn soak her shorts.

"Betsey?"

Betsey looked around to see Cooper approaching her and her dad. Was it really six already?

"C'mere Betsey," Cooper said, holding out his arms to the sobbing girl. "C'mere."

Betsey willingly stepped into the embrace, letting her tears flow, and the sobs rack her body.

"I j-just w-ant h-im back!" She wailed as Cooper rubbed her back in slow gently circles.

"We all do Betsey." Cooper sighed. "We all do."

"Hey, I want to be back." Her father's voice drifted towards her ears again. "But I don't want you to cry over little old me. Remember, you don't need to."

Betsey nodded into Cooper's jumper. "I don't need to cry because everything bad that's ever going to happen to me has already happened."

"Exactly." Her dad nodded. "Nothing bad can ever happen to you again."

Betsey wasn't so sure, but she sniffed, wiped her nose, and nodded at her dad anyway.

"You ready to go?" Cooper asked gently.

Betsey nodded, and picked up her bag. "I'm ready."

She looked once more at her dad. "I love you daddy."

Dell looked at her with a smile, a sort of half teary smile. "I love you more princess."

Betsey walked towards the car with Cooper, where a very pregnant Charlotte was waiting.

While most of the thirteenth of may was her fathers, some of it belonged to her other family, the group of doctors that had taken her in and treated her like their own daughter- all seven of them.

**FIN.**


End file.
